Fly Play hf.: Play Europe Receives Air Operator Certificate in Malta

Play Europe, a subsidiary of Fly Play hf., has been granted an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the Civil Aviation Directorate in Malta. The certificate was presented at a formal ceremony held in Malta this morning.

Play Europe was established as part of a restructuring process announced by Fly Play hf. in October of last year. At that time, the company announced that it would carry out projects in Europe for other airlines through its subsidiary, Play Europe, based in Malta.

Fly Play hf. currently operates a fleet of ten aircraft. Play has already reached an agreement with an airline operator in Eastern Europe, which includes the lease of three aircraft under the new Maltese Air Operator Certificate (AOC). These aircraft will operate exclusively outside of Iceland and not under the Play brand. In other words, they will not fly to or from Iceland, but rather between cities on the European mainland. Pilots and senior cabin crew will be employees of Play Europe and will be hired and based in the country from which the lessee operates. Fly Play hf. will continue to operate as an Icelandic low-cost airline, with the majority of its aircraft based in Keflavík.

The first aircraft registered under the Maltese AOC is an Airbus A321-NEO, manufactured in 2018, bearing the registration 9H-PEA.

“This is an important step for us. These leasing projects will generate profitability for PLAY in line with previous projections and will make the company’s operations more predictable and stable, with a positive financial outlook. Receiving the Maltese AOC today, well ahead of schedule, is the result of tireless work carried out with outstanding professionalism by our team over the past months, and we are very proud of this milestone,” says Einar Örn Ólafsson, CEO of PLAY.

Charles Pace, Director General of the Civil Aviation Directorate of Malta (Transport Malta – Civil Aviation Directorate), expressed during this morning’s ceremony that he was pleased to welcome Play Europe as part of Malta’s aviation history. He thanked all those who contributed to the project and for bringing this significant investment to Malta. He noted that the process had gone very smoothly and expressed his appreciation to the inspectors from the Civil Aviation Directorate and the PLAY team, who he said had worked with great diligence to achieve this milestone. He said he looks forward to seeing the airline grow and thrive in the months and years ahead.